Hammer



C. H. JOHNSON.

HAMMER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-4.1919. RENEWED MAR. 30.1920.

1,41 1 ,9 1 8. Patented Apr. 4, 1922.

III

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. JOHNSSONQOF SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA, .ASSICl-NOR OF ONE-HALF'lO ARTHUR IQILLTER, OF SACRAIHENTO, CALIFORNIA.

HAMMER.

L ft i ,ois.

Application filed September 4-, 1919, Serial No. 321,

T0 aZZ who-m it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. JorrNsoN. a citizen of the United States,residing at Sacramento, in the county of Sacramento and State ofCalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inHammers, of which the following is a specifL cation.

hlty invention-relates to certain new and useful improvements in tools,such as hammers provided with a supplemental claw which serves as a nailextractor, and the invention consists, essentially, of a tool having a.main claw with a substantially sha-ped groove formed in its side face,said groove being positioned at a point which approximates the center ofthe pulling surface of the main claw; in other words, the groove is madein the side of the tool about midway between the axis of the usualsocket and the outer end of the usual curved niain claw, so as toequalize the pulling strain, whether the handle of the tool is forcedtowards or from the floor or surface from which the nail is to beextracted, said groove, preferably, increasing in depth from the innerto the outer surface of the main claw and the deepest portion of thegroove being at the smaller end, the walls of the groove at this pointforming substantially a square opening when viewed from the outercurved. surface of the main claw.

In the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification and inwhich similar reference characters indicate like parts in the severalviews;

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a hammer embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is an end view.

Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line 3- of Fig. 1.

In the present drawing I have illustrated my improvement in connectionwith a conventional form of hammer wherein the head, 0, the socket, Z),the handle 0, and the claw, (Z, are of the usual type, the claw beingcurved from the eye or socket, 7), to the outer end, this curved portionserving as a fulcrum when rocking the tool to extract a nail. In theside of the hammer at a point which is approximately midway between theouter end of the main claw and the center of the eye or socket, b, ismade groove, 6, the major axis of which is about coincident JatentedApr. 1, 1922.

553. Renewed March 30, 1921 Q Serial No. 457,026.

with a line drawn radially from the. center from which the curveof themain claw is struck; in other words, the major axis of the groove standsat an angle of about degrees to, a line drawn longitudinally through theaxis of the handle and socket, as illustrated at -j. l

The groove is preferably V shaped, the inner end being at and openingthrough, the inner curved surface of the main claw, d, the side walls ofthe groove converging and leading through the outer curved surface ofsaid claw. The groove also deepens from the inner to the outer surfaceof the main claw, which. results in an inclined floor or bottom, 9, andthe formation of a substantially square opening, 71 in the outer surfaceof the claw, (Z, the side walls of the groove and the said inclinedbottom or floor being preferably roughen d or serrated to obtain abetter gripping action on the nail to be extracted.

By locating the groove at the point indicated and heretofore describedthe longitudinal axis or center thereof is located approximately in thecenter of the fulcrum or curved. pulling surface represented by thecurved outer surface of the main claw, and when the groove is thuslocated, the pulling strain exerted is about the same whether the handleis forced downwardly towards the floor or surface containing the nail tobe extracted, or upwardly or away from-said floor or surface. Thisfacilitates the extraction of the nail and permits the tool to hesuccessfully worked in. situations where other supplemental. claws wouldbe next to useless and which latter, ordinarily, can exert the pullingforce only when the tool is operated in one direction.

The supplemental claw is not designed to take the place of the main clawof the tool but is supplementary thereof and enables nails to beextraced from places-say close to vertical partitions, walls, etc, wherethe main claw could not be successfully applied thereto. Further, bysloping the bottom, 6, said groove at the inner surface of the clawsubstantially merges into the outer surface of the side of the tool,while the active portion of the supplemental claw is substantially inthe form of a rectangular opening, it, exposed through the outer curvedsurface of the main claw.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is v 1. A tool having a curved main claw saidclaw having a groove with converging walls formed in its side, the majoraxis of said groove being substantially radial of the center from whichthe curve of the main claw is struck, and the bottom of said groovedeclining from the inner to the outer surfaces of said main claw.

2. A tool having a curved main claw said claw having a groove withconverging walls formed in its side, the major axis of said groove beingsubstantially radial of the center .from which the curve of the mainclaw is struck, the bottom of saidgroove declining from the inner to theoutersurfaces of said main claw, and the walls of the groove beingroughened. 1

3. As an article of manufacture, a ham mer having a handle, a sockettherefor and a curved main claw, said claw having a V-shaped groove inits side substantially midway between the axis of the socket and theouter extremity of the claw, the major axis of said groove beingsubstantially coincident with a, line drawn radially from the centerfrom which the curve of the claw is stiuck whereby the groove isdisposed approximately in the center of the pulling area of the claw andthe pulling force is exerted with substantially equal eifect whether thehandle is moved towards or from the work.

V4. A tool having a segmental claw provided in its side substantiallymidway of its length with a substantially radially ex tending groove,said groove decreasing in width and'increasing in depth from the innerto the outer surfaces of the claw, and the outer end of said groovebeing substantially square in cross-section.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

CHARLES H. JOHNSON.

